Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Who it's for

PIP is not means-tested — it doesn't depend on income, savings or whether you work. It's based on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself.

• You're 16 or over and under State Pension age when you claim
• You've had difficulties with daily living and/or mobility for 3 months, and expect them to continue for at least 9 more months
• You've been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years (residence rules differ for terminal illness claims, which skip the waiting periods)

How it's assessed: the points system

PIP has two components — daily living and mobility. Each is scored separately using a points system across a fixed set of activities (such as preparing food, washing, dressing, communicating, and moving around). You only score the highest-scoring descriptor that applies to you in each activity.

• 8–11 points in a component: standard rate
• 12 or more points in a component: enhanced rate
• Under 8 points in a component: that component isn't awarded
• A separate reform proposing a minimum 4-point single-activity threshold for the daily living component has been announced for around November 2026 — check GOV.UK for whether it has come into force

What you may get (2026/27 rates)

Rates rose 3.8% from April 2026, in line with CPI inflation.

• Daily living, standard rate: £76.70 a week
• Daily living, enhanced rate: £114.60 a week
• Mobility, standard rate: £30.30 a week
• Mobility, enhanced rate: £80.00 a week

How you're assessed

Most people fill in a form describing how their condition affects them day to day, then attend or take part in an assessment (in person, by phone or by video) with an independent health professional. The best evidence is specific: what you can and can't do, on a bad day as well as a good one, and whether you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time.